Devices for controlling textileforwarding structures



Oct. 18, 1966 F. SCRAGG ETAL 3,

DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING TEXTILE-FORWARDING STRUCTURES Filed June 19, 1963 &

AT TORNEY United States Patent 3,279,667 DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING TEXTILE- FORWARDING STRUCTURES Frederick Scragg, Mobberley, and Denys W. Brough,

Macelesfield, England, assignors to Ernest Scragg &

Sons Limited, Macclesfield, England Filed June 19, 1963, Ser. No. 289,105 12 Claims. (Cl. 226-90) The present invention relates to textile machines.

More particularly, the present invention relates to that type of textile machine in which it is necessary from time to time to thread the machine by passing a yarn or the like between a pair of rollers which forward the yarn from a supply package, for example. Thus, in machines for false twisting yarn, it is conventional to apply banks of twisting assemblies where the assemblies of each bank are arranged in a row, and when it is necessary to thread up one of the assemblies the operation of the entire assembly is stopped and then after the yarn is properly threaded therethrough, a suitable structure is actuated to start the operation of that one of the assemblies which has now been made ready for continued operation, and during this time the other assemblies may continue to operate. A certain amount of inconvenience is involved in the shutting down of a complete assembly for such purposes, and in addition the threading of a yarn through such an assembly is time-consuming as well as inconvenient.

It is accordingly a primary object ofthe present invention to provide a structure which can be very conveniently and quickly operated so as to make it possible for yarn to be threaded through an assembly such as a false twisting assembly without requiring termination in the operation of the entire assembly.

It is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide a structure which makes it relatively easy to thread an assembly of the above type.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a structure which makes it possible for the operator to very quickly and easily position a driven roller at a location spaced from a driving roller, so that the driven roller will stop rotating and because of its displacement from the driving roller makes it very easy to pass a thread between the rollers.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a structure which can be operated conveniently to again place the driving roller in engagement with the driven roller after a thread has been passed between the rollers. It is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide a structure which is actuated in precisely the same way by the operator during displacement of a driven roller away from a driving roller and displacement of the driven roller back into engagement with a driving roller, so that the operator need not perform different operations to bring out these different positions of the driven roller.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a structure which can conveniently be actuated by a foot of the operator so that the operators hands are free for other operations.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a structure capable of accomplishing the above objects and at the same time composed of a relatively small assembly of simple rugged elements which are very reliable in operation.

With these objects in view, the invention includes, in a textile machine, driving and driven rollers. The driving roller rotates continuously during operation of the machine. In accordance with the present invention there is provided an operator-actuated means which carries out successive cycles of operations during successive act-nations by the operator, respectively, and this operator-actuated 3,279,667 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 means cooperates with one of the rollers to position the latter at the end of every other operating cycle at a location spaced from the other roller and to position this one roller in engagement with the other roller at the ends of the cycles which alternate with every other cycle, so that at the end of one operating cycle of the operator-actuated means one of the rollers will be spaced from the other roller, at the end of the next cycle the rollers will engage each other, at the end of the next following cycle this one roller will again be displaced from the other roller, and

so on.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best' understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which one possible embodiment of a structure according to the present invention is illustrated in a partly sectional, side elevational view.

Referring to the drawing,,there is shown therein a drive shaft 2 which fixedly carries a driving roller 1, the drive shaft 2 being driven by any suitable means such as an electric motor and continuously rotating with the driving roller 1 during operation of the machine. It is to be understood that the drive shaft 2 extends through a row of assemblies one of which is illustrated in part in the drawing and the shaft 2 drives the several driving rollers of the several assemblies, as is well known in the art. The drawing illustrates a portion of a yarn 3 which is to be fed to the machine and which passes between the surface of the driving roller 1 and the surface of a driven roller 4 in the form of a jockey roller carrying a tire 5 of resilient material having a high coefiicient of friction with the roller 1 and the yarn but being sulficien-tly resilient to yield so as to allow knots or other enlargements to pass between the rollers without disturbing their relative positions. The yarn 3 is forwarded by rollers 1 and 4 from a yarn supply package and is taken from the forwarding rollers 1 and 4 in a manner well known in the art upwardly through the machine to a heater, then through a crimping device, and thereafter to a take-up package, so that the yarn is false twisted in a manner well known in the art, although it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to any textile machine requiring a yarn or other textile material to pass between a pair of rollers. During the threading of the machine the driving roller 1 and driven roller 4 are maintained spaced from each other in the manner shown in the drawing so that the driving roller 1 may continue to rotate freely and thus a structure for shutting down the operation of the entire assembly is not required. With the driven roller 4 maintained in the illustrated position spaced from the driving roller 1 the drive to the driven roller 4 will of course terminate and the operator can easily and conveniently pass the yarn between the rollers while the roller 1 continues to be driven. There is illustrated in the drawing, and described below, an operator-actuated means which cooperates with the rollers 1 and 4 for displacing the driven roller 4 to its illustrated position spaced from the driving roller 1 at the end of one operating cycle of the operator-actuated means and for freeing the roller 4 for movement into engagement with the driving roller 1 at the end of the next operating cycle of the operator'- actuated means, so that with the structure of the invention every other operating cycle of the operator-actuated means locates the driven roller in a position spaced from the driving roller while at the ends of the operating cycles which alternate with every other operating cycle the drivenv roller engages the driving roller, and thus the operator need only actuate the operator-actuated means of the invention to displace the driven roller 4 from one to the other of its positions irrespective of whichever position it happens to be in at any given moment. The operator will actuate the operator-actuated means in precisely the same way irrespective of whether the driven roller 4 is in engagement with or out of engagement with the locate the lever means 6 in its inoperative position, so

driving roller 1, and the operator-actuated means will automatically locate the driven roller in its position engaging the driving roller it it was previously out of engagement therewith or in its position out of engagement with the driving roller if it was previously in engagement therewith.

The structure includes a first lever means 6 which supports the driven roller 4 for rotation. Thus, at its right end, as viewed in the drawing, the first lever means 6 carries a shaft 25 which supports the roller 4 for free rotary movement. The first lever means 6 issupported by a support means 20, 21 for free swinging movement downwardly toward an operative position where the driven 'roller engages the driving roller and upwardly to the illustrated inoperative position where the driven roller is spaced from the driving roller, the lever means 6 being located together with the driven roller 4 at an elevation higher than the driving roller 1, as shown in the drawing.

Thus, the support means includes a rigid plate 21 carrying a pivot pin 20 on which the lever 6 is supported for swinging movement, and a stud 22 fixedly connects the plate 21 to an elongated stationary supporting bar extending along all of the assemblies and supporting the several plates 21 thereof, as indicated in the drawing.

A second lever means is supported for swinging movement by the support means back and forth through a given operating cycle. Thus, this elongated second lever means 10 is supported intermediate its ends on a pin 8 carried by the plate 21. The lever 10 is fixed with an extension 9 carrying a pedal 7 so that the second lever means 10 can be conveniently operated .by a foot of the operator. A spring means 16 acts on the second lever means 10 for urging the latter to turn in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing, and a projection 24 of the second lever means 10 engages the first lever means 6 in the position of the parts shown in the drawing for locating this first lever means 6 in its illustrated inoperative position. The spring 16 can be coiled about the pin 8 with free ends of the spring 16 respectively engaging beneath the lower edges of the plate 21 and the lever 10 so as to urge the latter to turn in a counterclockwise direction upwardly to the position illustrated in the drawing.

The structure of the invention also includes a cam means carried in part by the support means 21 and in part by the second lever means 10 for providing the second lever means 10 with an extended movement during every other operating cycle and with a limited movement during the operating cycles which alternate with every other operating cycle, as will be apparent from the description below.

The cam means includes, in the illustrated example, a star-shaped cam 11 having four radial extensions 1215 and supported for free turning movement on a pin 23 which is carried by the lever 10. This cam means also includes a striker plate 17 fixed to the plate 21 and cooperating with the cam 11 in a manner described below, as well as an upper stop member 18 and a lower stop member 19 both of which are located in the path of swinging movement of the cam 11 during turning of the lever 10.

In the illustrated inoperative position of the lever means 6, where the driven roller 4 is spaced from the driving roller 1, the cam 11 engages the lower stop member 19, which in the illustrated position is between the extensions 14 and 15 of the cam, so as to limit the extent to which the spring 16 can turn the lever 10, and thus it is the cooperation of the stop member 19 with the cam 11 which determines the elevation of the projection 24 of the lever 10 at the end of the alternating operating cycles which that in this way the stop member 19 cooperateslwith the cam 11 to determine the elevation of the lever 6 and the roller 4 when the latter is displaced from the roller 1.1

Assuming that the yarn 3 has been threaded through the assembly, then in order to return the lever means 6 to its lower operative position, where the roller 4 engages the roller 1, the operator will simply depress the pedal 7, turning the lever 10 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing, in opposition to the spring 16, until this movement is terminated by engagement of the cam 11 with the upper stop member 18. During this clockwise turning of the lever 10 the cam 11 will move past the striker plate 17 which will not have any influence onthe position of the cam 11 at this time, but the position of the stop member 18 with respect to the cam 11 is such that when the latter engages the stop member 18 this stop member will turn the cam 11 through a predetermined angular increment about the pin 23 in a clockwise direc-J tion, as viewed in the drawing. The extent of angular turning of the cam 11 by the stop member 18'is such that when the operator releases the pedal 7 after the stop member 18 engages the cam 11 the spring 16 will swing the lever 10 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing, and during the resulting downward movement of the cam 11 the extension 15 thereof will engage the striker plate 17 so that the cam will be turned further in a clockwise direction about the pin 23 until the extension 14 also engages the striker plate, and the cam will now be displaced through approximately 90 from:

the position shown in the drawing, in a clockwise direction, with the extensions 14 and 15 engaging the striker plate 17 and preventing further movement of the lever 10 by the spring 16. Therefore, at the end of this operat-.

ing cycle the lever 10 could not return to the position have the position shown in the drawing, results during the initial downward movement of the projection 24 in downward movement of the lever 6 which follows the downward movement of the projection 24 until the roller 4 engages the roller 1, and then the projection 24 continues to move downwardly away from the lever 6 but does not return to a position engaging the lever 6 due to'the limited movement of the second lever means 10 provided by the cam means of the invention at this time. The roller 4 and the lever 6 may move downwardly simply as a result of their own weight, or the lever 6 may be spring loaded or loaded -by suitable weights to be urged toward its operative position and for applying a suitable pressure between the driving and driven rollers; In any event the spring 16 is powerful enough to displace the lever.

Assuming now that the lever means 6 is in its operat1ve position and that it becomes necessary to displace the driven roller 4 away from the driving roller. '1, the operator will again simply depress the pedal 7 in opposition to the spring 16. The will again result in clockwise turning of the lever 10, as viewed in the drawing, with movement of the cam 11 upwardly away from the striker plate 17 into engagement with the upper stop member 18.

(It is to be emphasized that at the end of an operating cycle where the projection 24 does not engage the lever 6 the cam 11 does not engage the stop member 19 but is instead maintained by the striker plate 17 at an elevation higher than the stop member 19.) The stop member 18 will now be positioned between the extensions 12 and 15 and will turn the cam 11 through a given angular distance in a clockwise direction about the pin 23, as viewed in the drawing, and now when the pedal 7 is released the cam will move past the striker plate 17 and will turn through an additional increment in a clockwise direction with the stop member 19 now situated between the extensions 12 and 13 to limit the movement of the lever 10 by the spring 16, but since the cam could now move past the striker plate 17 the lever 10 has been given an extended movement permitting the projection 24 to displace the lever 6 to the position illustrated in the drawing, so that the parts are again in the position shown in the drawing except that the cam 11 is displaced through 180 from the position shown in. the drawing. Thus, at the end of this operating cycle the driven roller 4 is displaced away from the driving roller 1 so that the yarn is no longer forwarded, but at the same time it is unnecessary to stop the rotation of the driving roller 1 and the operators hands are free and are not required to perform the starting and stopping operations. It is apparent that during each operating cycle the cam 11 is turned through approximately 90. The pedal 7 is always depressed to the same lower end position but it returns upwardly to different positions during the successive operating cycles, extended or limited movement of the pedal 7 and the second lever means 10 being automatically provided by the cam means in the manner described above. Of course, during the next operating cycle the striker plate 17 will cooperate with the extensions 12 and 13 to give the lever means 10 only a limited return movement so that the roller 4 will engage the roller 1, and during the next following cycle the parts will again have the position shown in the drawing.

The above described structure may of course be used for separating and bringing together any pair of forwarding rollers at any part of any textile machine, or for other similar purposes, although in some cases it may be necessary to provide additional or different linkages. Also, the yarn forwarding structure, instead of taking the form of a driven roller cooperating with a driving roller may take the form of a driven roller cooperating with a suitable belt which is continuously driven, although in such a case the belt is engaged by a driving pulley which would be engaged by the driven roller through the belt. Of course, the yarn in this case would pass between the belt and the driven roller. Moreover, although the particular structure described above includes a pedal 7, it is apparent that the pedal may be replaced by a hand-operated element without changing the invention. Furthermore, the movable driven roller may be located below, in front of, or behind the driven roller to move to and from the latter.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of textile machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in textile machines with textile forwarding structure, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a textile machine, in combination, driving and driven elements, said driving element operating continuously during operation of the machine; and operatoractuated means carrying out a cycle of operations when actuated by the operator, said operator-actuated means moving in a given direction and coacting with one of said elements of positioning said one element at a location spaced from the other element at the end of every other cycle of operation of said operator-actuated means and said operator-actuated means also moving in said given direction and positioning said one element in engagement with said other element at the ends of cycles which alternate with every other cycle of operation of said operatoractuated means, so that with said operator-actuated means moving in the same direction at each successive cycle, at the end of one cycle said elements will be spaced from each other, at the end of the next cycle said elements will engage each other, at the end of the next following cycle said elements will be spaced from each other, and so on, whereby the operator need not select a direction in which to move said operator-actuated means.

2. In a textile machine, in combination, driving and driven rollers, said driving roller rotating continuously during operation of the machine; and operator-actuated means performing successive cycles of operation when actuated by the operator, said operator-actuated means moving in a given direction and coacting with said driven roller for positioning the latter at a location spaced from said driving roller at the end of every other cycle and said operator-actuated means also moving in said given direction and positioning said driven roller in engagement with said driving roller at the ends of cycles which alternate with every other cycle of operation, so that with said operator-actuated means moving in the same direction at each successive cycle, at the end of one cycle of operations said driven roller is spaced from said driving roller, at the end of the next cycle of operations of said operator-actuated means said driven roller engages said driving roller, at the end of the next following cycle said driven roller is again spaced from said driving roller, and so on, whereby the operator need not select a direction in which to move said operator-actuated means.

3. In a textile machine, in combination, a rotary driving roller rotating continuously during operation of the machine; a driven roller located adjacent said driving roller; first lever means supporting said driven roller for rotation; support means supporting said first lever means for swinging movement between an operative position where said driven roller engages said driving roller and an inoperative position where said driven roller is spaced from said driving roller; second lever means supported by said support means for swinging movement back and forth during a given operating cycle; and cam means carried in part by said support means and in part by said second lever means for positioning the latter at the end of every other operating cycle, in response to movement of said second lever means in a given direction, at a position where said second lever means engages said first lever means and maintains the latter in said inoperative position thereof, and said cam means positioning said second lever means at the ends of operating cycles which alternate with every other operating cycle, also in response to movement of said second lever means in said given direction, at a location freeing said first lever means for movement to said operative position thereof, so that while said second lever means moves in the same direction at each successive operating cycle, at the end of one operating cycle of said second lever means said driven roller will be spaced from said driving roller, at the end of the next operating cycle of said second lever means said driven roller will engage said driving roller, at the end of the next following operating cycle of said second lever means said driven roller will be again spaced from said driving roller, and so on.

4. In a textile machine as recited in claim 3, said second lever means being actuated by the operator at the will of theoperator.

5. In a textile machine, in combination, a rotary driving roller rotating continuously during operation of the machine; a driven roller located adjacent said driving roller; first lever means supporting said driven roller for rotation; support means supporting said first lever means for swinging movement between an operative position where said driven roller engages said driving roller and an inoperative position where said driven roller is spaced from said driving roller; second lever means supported by said support means for swinging movement back and forth during a given operating cycle; cam means carried in part by said support means and in part by said second lever means for positioning the latter at the end of every other operating cycle at a position where said second lever, means engages said first lever means andmaintains the latte-r in said inoperative position thereof, and said cam means positioning said second lever means at the ends of operating cycles which alternate with every other operating cycle at a location freeing said first lever means for movement to said operative position thereof, so that at the end of one operating cycle of said second lever means said driven roller will be spaced from said driving roller, at the end of the next operating cycle of said second lever means said driven roller will engage said driving roller, at the end of the next following operating cycle of said second lever means said driven roller will be again spaced from said driving roller, and so on; and spring means urging said second lever means to a position engaging said first lever means and displacing the latter to said inoperative position thereof, and said cam means limiting the movement of said second lever means by said spring means.

6. In a textile machine as recited in claim 5, said cam means giving to said second lever means an extended movement during those operating cycles which end in location of said first lever means in said inoperative position thereof and a limited movement less than said extended movement during those operating cycles which end in location of said first lever means in said operative position thereof.

7. In a textile machine, in combination, a driving roller which rotates continuously during operation of the machine; a driven roller adjacent and located at an elevation higher than said driving roller; first lever means supporting said driven roller for rotation; support means supporting said first lever means for downward swinging movement to an operative position where said driven roller engages said driving roller and for movement to an inoperative position displaced upwardly from said operative position and maintaining said driven roller spaced upwardly from said driving roller; second lever means located beneath said first lever means and supported by said support means for swinging movement back and forth during a given operating cycle; and cam means carried in part by said support means and in part by said second'lever means for positioning the latter at the end of every other operating cycle, in response to movement of said second lever means in a given direction, in a location engaging said first lever means and maintaining the latter in said inoperative position thereof, said cam means locating said second lever means at the endsof operating cycles which alternate with every other operating cycle, also in response to movement of said second lever means in said given direction, in positions displaced beneath and out of contact with said first lever means so that the latter assumes said operative position thereof, whereby while said second lever means moves in the same direction at each successive operating cycle, at the end i of one operating cycle said driven roller will be spaced from said driving roller, at the end of the next following cycle said driven roller will engage said driving roller, at the end of the next following cycle said driven roller will again be spaced from said driving roller, and so on.

8. In a textile machine, in combination, a driving roller which rotates continuously during operation of the machine; a driven roller adjacent and located at an elevation higher than said driving roller; first lever means supporting said driven roller for rotation; support means supporting said first lever means for downward swinging movement to an operative position where said driven roller, engages said driving roller and for movement to an inoperative position displaced upwardly from said operative position and maintaining said driven roller spaced upwardly from said driving roller; second lever means located beneath said first lever means and supported by said support means forswinging movement back and forth during a given operating cycle; cam means carried 1 in part by said support means and in partby said second lever means for positioning the latter at the end of every other operating cycle in a: location engaging said first lever means and maintaining the latter in said inoperative position thereof, said cam means locating said, second lever means at the ends of operating cycles which altermate with every other operating cycle in positions displaced beneath and out of contact with said first lever means so that the latter assumes said operative position thereof, whereby at the end of one operating cycle said driven roller will be spaced from said driving roller, at the end of the next following cycle said driven roller will engage said driving roller, at the end of the next following cycle said driven roller will again be spaced from said driving roller, and so on; and spring means urging said second lever means to a position engaging said first lever means and displacing the latter to said inoperative position thereof, and said cam means limiting the movement of said second lever means by said spring means.

9. In a textile machine as recited in claim 8, said cam means including a star-shaped cam turnably carried by said second lever means, a striker plate located in the path of movement of said cam, an upper stop member located in the path of upward movement of said cam during swinging of said second lever means in one .direc-, tion for engaging said cam and turning the latter through a given increment, a lower stop member located in the path of downward movement of said cam during swinging of said second lever means by said spring means to limit the extent. of upward movement of said second lever means and thus determine the location of said first lever means when the latter is in said inoperative position thereof, said striker plate cooperating with said cam only during alternate operating cycles of said second lever means to prevent said cam from reaching said lower stop member and to thus maintain said second lever meansin opposition to said spring means in a position where said first lever means can assume said operative position thereof.

10. In a textile machine as recited in claim 8, pedal means operatively connected to said second lever means so that the latter can be actuated by a foot of the operator.

11. In a textile machine as recited in claim 7, said driven roller having a covering of resilient material which has a high coefficient of friction with said driving roller,

but which can yield when enlarged portions of a yarn or the like pass between said rollers.

12. In a machine having a driving element which operates continuously during operation of the machine and a driven element driven by said driving element during normal machine operation but being required to be displaced from said driving element from time to time, operator-actuated means carrying out a cycle of opera-,

tions when actuated by the operator and said operatoractuated means moving in a given direction and coacting with said driven element for positioning the latter at a location displaced from said driving element at the .end

of every other cycle of operation of said operator-actuated means, said operator-actuated means also moving in said given direction and locating said driven element in engagement with said driving element at the ends of cycles which alternate with every other cycle of operation of said operator-actuated means so that with said operator-actuated means moving in the same direction at each successive cycle, at the end of one cycle said elements will be spaced from each other, at the end of the next cycle said elements will engage each other, at the end of the next following cycle said elements Will be spaced from each other, and so on, whereby the operator need not select a direction in which to move said operatoractuated means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1901 Hartley 57-84 1/1905 C-owan 2852 11/1931 Hargreaves 5784 X 10/ 1948 Koch 226-76 10/ 1955 Cummings 22618O X FOREIGN PATENTS 11/1954 France.

6/ 1934 Germ-any.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A TEXTILE MACHINE, IN COMBINATION, DRIVING AND DRIVEN ELEMENTS, SAID DRIVING ELEMENT OPERATING CONTINUOUSLY DURING OPERATION OF THE MACHINE; AND OPERATORACTUATED MEANS CARRYING OUT A CYCLE OF OPERATIONS WHEN ACTUATED BY THE OPERATOR, SAID OPERATOR-ACTUATED MEANS MOVING IN A GIVEN DIRECTION AND COATING WITH ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS OF POSITIONING SAID ONE ELEMENT AT A LOCATION SPACED FROM THE OTHER ELEMENT AT THE END OF EVERY OTHER CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID OPERATOR-ACTUATED MEANS AND SAID OPERATOR-ACTUATED MEANS ALSO MOVING IN SAID GIVEN DIRECTION AND POSITIONING SAID ONE ELEMENT IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OTHER ELEMENT AT THE ENDS OF CYCLES WHICH ALTER- 